


The prettiest flower in my garden is you

by wertdifferenz



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:35:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 6,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24897796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wertdifferenz/pseuds/wertdifferenz
Summary: A challenge to myself to write a bit more, as well as a collection of random Ryance stories, snippets and drabbles from multiple universes.Feel free to add requests in the comments. If a story includes Ryan/Lance/James, it will be titled accordingly.
Relationships: James Griffin/Ryan Kinkade/Lance, Ryan Kinkade/Lance
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	1. Ryan/Lance - No rogue

People in his pack usually found their destined mates when they were teenagers. As children they were just too young to understand the difference between the love for your pack and the love for your soulmate, even if most kids already prefered the presence from the person they want to grow old with over everyone else.

Some people only found their mates after they grow into full adults, usually with twenty. At that point they started to interact with other packs, not only wolves but whoever lived in their region, like bears, foxes, mountain lions, and even the very shy deers. 

To not have a mate when you were older than twenty was already weird, but with every passing year the concern grows. Mostly of your own pack.

Ryan‘s twenty third birthday just passed when his best friend took him to the side to ask him a couple of serious question. No one else, not even his own mother dared to ask him that, which 

„Do you think,“ James murmured, biting his lips and squaring his shoulders in order to keep his posture straight, determined, showing more strength than he must have felt in that moment, „do you think you are a—“

He couldn‘t even finish the questions, just the implication already hurting him enough. 

_A rogue._

That‘s what James wanted to ask him. If Ryan felt like a rogue. 

Ryan didn‘t know how to answer for a while. Didn‘t know what to think or how to feel, not even what to do. He stared at his feet, kneaded his hands and tried to force the fear that started to spread through his chest back into the deepest part of himself. 

His wolf thankfully knew the answer, always wiser than the man, more in control of his own feelings and emotions and—

And his soul. 

„No,“ Ryan answered honestly. He watched how James deflated, a grin on his lips as he patted Ryan‘s shoulder. 

A rogue was someone who can’t survive in a pack, someone who has to leave his family and never turn back in order not to hurt them. A rogue could not stay sane in a pack, couldn‘t provide like others, couldn‘t even love like a normal wolf. 

A rogue was a loner, a stray, a person incapable of finding a mate. And that‘s definitely not what Ryan was.

He loved his mother just like he loved James and Ina and Nadia, his closest friends. He loved every single member of his pack, every child that got born into the family, and every member that left for the light. 

There was no way that Ryan is a rogue. 

But with twenty three years and still without a mate, something else must be seriously wrong with him. That thought ghosted through his head longer than he‘d like to admit, manifested itself into a fixture of his life, keeping him up all night and haunting him throughout every day. 

That thought also disappeared in a split second when he finally met him.

Lance‘s pack was small, just his own family and the one his oldest brother created. They lost their home to another pack, unable to keep their territory with only eight grown member and two pups. 

Ryan‘s pack was wary of them at first. Why shouldn‘t they? Even with the tiny size of Lance‘s pack, they could still manage to make enough damage to hurt them if they wanted to. 

Of course they didn‘t want to. And of course that wariness disappeared as soon as Ryan saw Lance for the first time. 

His hair had the color of ripe chestnuts shining in the sun, his eyes were like a starry sky on a full moon, and his smile— oh, his smile was simply the most breathtaking thing Ryan has ever seen. 

Everyone could see the immediate pull they had on each other. Ryan‘s wolf pushed him forward, towards Lance, towards his mate. His skin was itching from the need to shift, from his wolf crawling from his insides to touch, to feel, to taste and smell—

And most importantly: to claim. 

This was his mate after all, the man Ryan waited for twenty three years. The man he would never let go again.


	2. Ryan/Lance - Sleeping in

Sleeping in is a luxury Lance never appreciated until he went to college. He grew up in a small village near the ocean, where they had only two teachers for all classes up until high school. You don‘t really need more for ten kids anyway. 

Both teachers hated waking up early, just like the rest of the village, and since it‘s much healthier anyway, school started at ten instead of seven in the morning. 

So, Lance grew up with the luxury of sleeping in. 

When he went to the big city to study at a college though, he quickly realized that not everyone has it as easy as him.

It took quite some time to get used to this new timetable. He had to move his skincare routine to the evening, had to start preparing breakfast the night before so he wouldn‘t go to classes with an empty stomach, had to set five alarms instead of one just so he wouldn‘t accidentally turn the first four off. 

It was a procedure, but Lance got used to it. He‘s still not a morning person, but at least he isn‘t missing attendance for the first two classes every day. And he learned to be thankful for the weekends, where he can spend the whole day in bed.

Thankfully, his boyfriend is just the same.

Ryan isn‘t a night owl, more an afternoon lover. He‘s a sleepy mess until the clock hits eleven, and even then it takes half a liter of coffee for him to drop the frown. He‘s the visual embodiment of how Lance feels every morning— a perfect match if you may say so.

And of course, a perfect cuddle partner as well.

Every Saturday they make an effort to start the day as slow as possible. Sleeping is sounds easy, but is actually pretty hard when your body is used to getting up at six in the morning every day. 

It doesn‘t stop them from staying in bed though. They spend their morning in each other‘s arms, only breaking the touch when one of them has to use the bathroom or when it‘s time for their first coffee of many. 

But as soon as they are done with whatever they are doing, they get drawn back into their bed, back into each others warmth and comfort. Soft kisses await them, loving touches and whispered confessions as well. 

Everything to make the other want to stay even longer. But even when there is nothing but silence between them, the only sound the thumping of their hearts or the soft sighs every now and then; even when nothing happens, everything is perfect. 

Just with Ryan around, everything is perfect.


	3. Ryan/Lance - Mermaid

The water around him warms up as he travels towards the surface.

Even though Ryan should be used to the feeling, he‘s been doing this for the last couple of weeks after all, ever since his shoal arrived at this reef, his body can‘t help but shiver and his scales feel like they are pressing closer to his body. 

He‘s been taught since he was a small guppy that the surface is dangerous, that the human could see him, hunt him, catch him, just like they do with the fish, or sharks, or even whales sometimes. 

So his reaction isn‘t so far off. Even if he knows that they are safe here, that the riff they are staying at is too far away from any coast or ship route for any human to ever see them. Even if the sea around this riff is deadly to anyone who can‘t breath under water, the currents too strong, the wind too furious, the ocean itself telling landwalkers to stay away. 

Even if he knows all that, he can‘t help but worry a little bit. Especially with—

A strong breeze dries his skin as his head peaks over the surface of the water. Around him, perched on a sandbank are a couple of mer basking in the last few rays of the sun. Big clouds are rolling in from the north, and the air already smells of the incoming storm. It won‘t be long until the warmth is pushed away by raindrops and lightning. 

When the first thunder echoes over the ocean, the mer roll back into the water. Rain doesn‘t hurt them, neither does the lightning, but most mer don‘t like the loud noise that vibrates through their bodies whenever the storm produces some thunders. 

As the sandbank clears, Ryan can finally see the mer he‘s been looking for. No one but him is able to lure him to the surface, especially in such unpleasant weather. 

Lance hasn‘t noticed him yet, his eyes perched on the black clouds above them. Lightning strikes through them and a smile blossoms on his lips. He loves the show, doesn‘t mind the noise, enjoys the cold raindrops on his skin as they prevent him from accidentally drying out while his attention is set on the sky. 

Ryan doesn‘t completely understand Lance‘s fascination, but considering he doesn‘t even really understand his own fascination with the mer, it‘s no surprise. 

Ever since he arrived at this reef, he can‘t fight the pull Lance has on him. He‘s been crushing on him ever since he lay eyes on Lance, but the moment he actually got to talk to him, to get to know him, to see his beautiful smile directed at him— that was the moment Ryan fell in love.

That was also the moment Ryan decided to court him. Though a while full moon passed and he hasn‘t figured out how to do it. Presents like pretty shells or pearls are too simple, and catching a big fish or two is something everyone can do. 

No, he needs to impress the mer, needs to find something, do something that would make him stand out from everyone else. Because Ryan is by far not the only mer who is draw to Lance, and by far not the closest to him either. A lot of mer from his shoal like him as well, and even more from other shoals who are gathered in this reef, either to stay for longer or just to spend a few days to rest. 

So, nothing simple is enough for Lance. 

Ryan knew that the moment he met him. 

Which doesn‘t answer the question what he should give Lance though. His friends are just as clueless as Ryan is, and he‘s not really close enough to Lance‘s friends to ask them. He‘s sure they wouldn‘t know either anyway. 

All that he can do is ask Lance himself, which is… you know… not easy. Getting close to him is something Ryan actually managed to do, spending time with him is everything but a hassle after all. It makes Ryan‘s heart jump in circles and his stomach feel like he swallowed a bunch of waves. 

Ryan swims closer until his stomach brushes over the sand and his scales peek out from the water. Lance is just an arms length away, oblivious to the mer behind him, or anything else going on. 

Instead of getting Lance‘s attention, Ryan opts to look at him for a bit longer, take in his long, blue scaled tail with the spots of light that look like the stars in the sky. He knows that as long as the storm is raging above them, there is no way that he can convince Lance to come back home with him. 

He loves storms just too much. 

But there is also no way that they will get disturbed by other mer, so he takes his time. At least while it‘s raining, he‘s got the mer all to himself. A few minutes of staring won‘t hurt.


	4. Ryan/Lance - Soft feathers

To say he‘s surprised to find himself in the embrace of Ryan‘s strong wings is an understatement. 

Touching someone‘s wings is reserved to family and partners after all, sometimes even close friends if they are more like siblings to you than anything else. 

Ryan is not family though, and considering they only met last year, not a close friend either.

So, Lance is confused. Not just because of the wings-situation, but about everything that‘s going on right now.

One moment he‘s talking to a member of another flock, the next he‘s getting pulled into Ryan‘s strong chest. 

Did he do something wrong?

He looks up to Ryan, takes in the stoic face that most people can‘t read. For him it‘s surprisingly easy though, something that irked him since he met Ryan. But even though it‘s easy, he still doesn‘t trust himself when he sees clear anger in Ryan‘s eyes, mixed with annoyance and a little bit of concern. 

Not directed at Lance though. 

The person Ryan is looking at is the guy from the other flock. Lance doesn‘t really know him well, only that his flock usually lives further south of Lance‘s flock, and that he wanted to share some sweets with Lance, which Lance gladly accepted, which is also why—

Lance groans and slaps his own forehead. Of course Ryan is angry, of course Ryan is pulling him away from that guy, of course Ryan is putting his body and wings between Lance and that avian. 

Ryan is courting him after all. 

Ryan completely misunderstood as well though. 

„Hey,“ Lance murmurs, placing a hand on Ryan‘s chest and poking him to get his attention. „Ryan!“

With reluctance his he draws his eyes onto Lance, the anger quickly moving into something more neutral, almost soft— and then they widen, when he realizes himself what he‘s doing. 

One moment Lance is covered in warm feather, the next he‘s free again, though Ryan didn‘t budge. Lance is still pressed against his body, the touch bringing him comfort and amusement at the same time. 

„Sorry about that,“ Lance says towards the avian, whose face turned from surprised to amused as well. He‘s a caretaker, just like Lance, and looking after the fledgelings with him. He offered Lance some snacks, and Lance was about to accept when Ryan surprised the both of them. 

The avian quickly retreats, back to the kids who didn‘t even notice the commotion.

And Lance… well, he‘s sure that his fledglings can take care of themselves for a couple of minutes. They are not alone on the plaza after all. 

He turns his attention back on Ryan, an apologetic smile on his lips. „I‘m sorry, Ryan,“ he murmur, placing his hand o Ryan‘s arm and letting his wings reach out to touch the tips of his black feathers. „It really meant nothing.“

„No,“ Ryan answers, „I just overreacted. _I‘m sorry._ “ He doesn‘t step back though. Doesn‘t push Lance away either, and doesn‘t hesitate to reciprocate his touch either. 

All is forgiven and forgotten in an instance. They are both very new to this courting thing after all, and tend to forget the easiest rules every now and then. Lance‘s jealousy got the best of him as well, so he knows how important is it to forgive each other. 

And how could he not forgive his gentle giant when Ryan looks at him like that?


	5. Ryan/Lance - Maybe tomorrow

The café is busy whenever Ryan arrives, be it in the morning right before work, or in the afternoon when he‘s finished with his shift. Even when he comes for some coffee right before his lunch break ends, it‘s packed.

And why shouldn‘t it be?

This is the best coffee shop in town after all, and people know it. Even tourists come here to get some of the shop‘s delicious coffee and cake creations while they visit, since the shop has been featured in several magazines about food and travelling ever since the son of the previous owners took over. 

As packed as it is, it takes some time to get to the front counter to order. The staff is quick with preparing his drinks, even quicker with packing some delicious desserts like cinnamon rolls or various cakes into a little paper bag to bring with him. 

It‘s hard to find a place to sit in the shop, since they only have three small tables inside, and five outside in the backyard of the house. It‘s easier— and much quicker, if you don‘t have time— to just grab something to go and either eat it on the curb outside the building, or at work like Ryan does. 

The queue gets smaller and smaller until Ryan is standing in front of the pretty, wooden counter. Behind the barista are all the fancy drinks they offer drawn on a chalkboard, and left from him all the cakes and pastries that the people are going crazy for. 

Ryan only has eyes for the person in front of him though. 

„There you are! I missed you yesterday,“ Lance grins at him, knowing fully well that it was Ryan‘s day off the day before. „The usual for you?“ He‘s already holding up a pen and a sticky note while Ryan is sliding his own to-go cup over the counter. 

„Yes, please.“ He can‘t help but smile himself while watching Lance doodle on the note. Lately he‘s been getting all kinds of drawing from Lance, flowers and suns, little cats and even a bunny every now and then. 

As stupid as this sounds, these notes make him really happy. He‘s kept every single one of them in a little drawer at his desk at work, those little pieces of paper too precious to him to throw away. 

Ryan is only a man after all, a man with a huge crush on the cute barista, so spare him the teasing. 

Like almost every day, Ryan pays for his order and gets send his way. Like almost every day, he doesn‘t have the balls to speak more than two words to Lance, to ask him how his day was, or what he‘s planning to do in the evening, or if he would ever consider going on a date with Ryan. 

Yeah, that‘s not happening. At least not anytime soon, because whenever Lance smiles, Ryan forgets the world around him. Forgets what he wants to say or ask or even order. Thankfully, Lance got his order down by now. 

With a sigh Ryan gets his cup and leaves the shop, but not before looking over his shoulder once more. Lance catches his eyes, smiles at him and waves with one hand before getting back to the customer he‘s talking to. 

Ryan doesn‘t even have time to wave back. The only thing he can do is come back tomorrow and try again. 

And why shouldn‘t he? 

This is the best coffee shop in town after all, and people know it.


	6. Ryan/Lance - Long winter

His feet dangle into the cold water of the river as he leans back on the little bridge his flock build last year. His wings are sore from flying, and he has a million other things to do, but he doesn‘t care. 

Thankfully, his flock doesn‘t care either. 

They just arrived back from their winter quartier further south. Usually he would be needed to clean out their nests, or put away their baggage, or fly out to gather food. Usually he has other stuff to do, but today his flock let him spend the rest of the day at the bridge. 

It‘s been months since he last saw his mate after all.

A cold hand glides up his leg, silently breaking the surface and making Ryan smile. It tugs on his rolled up pants, then on his belt which is hanging off the bridge before a head peeks up from the water. 

Ryan takes the hand in his, intertwines their fingers and squeezes them before lifting his mate out of the water. Lance laughs as he falls into his arms, wrapping his long tail around Ryan‘s legs while getting comfortable in his lap.

His lips are just as cold as his hands as he presses them against Ryan‘s, his smile not faltering while he kisses him breathless. „I missed you,“ he moans between two breathes, not giving Ryan the chance to answer. 

The winter was too long for his liking, the five months he had to spend apart from his mate dark and boring. So, so boring. 

He missed the beautiful smile of his mate, his jokes and his tales from his own people. He missed Lance‘s gentle touch and the strength in his grip, the way he likes to wrap his tail around every part of Ryan‘s body and how he still gets flustered when Ryan does the same with his wings. 

Gosh, he just missed his mate. But now he has at least seven months to make up for it, and maybe next winter he will find a new place to stay with his flock, a place where he can bring his mate along. 

For now though…

„I missed you, too,“ Ryan whispers when Lance lets him breathe, chuckling as he gets pulled into the next kiss.


	7. Ryan/James/Lance - Nervous

James places his hand on his knee to calm him down. „Babe, please,“ he begs, half amused, half just as scared shitless as Ryan, „I‘m sure he‘ll come.“ 

He doesn‘t sound sure though. Ryan lets him know that with one look. James squeezes his knee as an answer and forces a smile. 

Ryan doesn‘t know when they turned this pathetic. They are waiting for their date to arrive, a man they both have been crushing on for the past year or so. A guy so pretty that they both turn into a stuttering mess when they try to talk to him. An angel that ascended on earth that is too kind to turn them down. 

At least Ryan thinks that. Why else would Lance say ‚yes‘ to a date with these two idiots?

They are scared to mess this up. Ryan insisted on arriving a bit earlier, and James was so nervous that they came almost an hour too early. Since then they are sitting here, kneading each other‘s hands and calming each other‘s nerves, trying to distract each other from the huge clock on the wall right next to them that‘s ticking way too slow. 

Twenty minutes left, and Ryan is close to a breakdown. 

„Hey,“ James nudges his shoulder, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table and get a better look at Ryan. „We can do this!“ 

Ryan is just about to reply with something super depressing when the bell above the door of the shop rings and their angel walks in. His hair is a bit dishevelled, his cheeks a bit flushed, making it clear that he hurried to come here, even if it‘s not even time to meet yet. 

Lance scans the seating area, breaking into a grin when he sees Ryan and James sitting in the corner. „Oh, you‘re already here!“ he laughs as he crosses the distance between them and puts his bag on the floor next to the free chair Ryan dragged over a few minutes ago. „Why are you so early?“ 

James raises an eyebrow. „We could ask you the same.“ 

Lance chuckles at them, his smile brightening the whole room. „My class ended early because someone tried to convince the professor that Cesar was not-so-secretly gay for Brutus.“ 

„I thought you had a biology class,“ James notices, laughing as Lance nods. „Was that someone you?“

„Not this time,“ Lance smirks before looking at the counter behind him. „I‘ll go grab a coffee real quick. Do you want a cookie as well?“ 

Oh, cookies sound great. Ryan lets his boyfriend know that with a tiny pout, making James roll his eyes at him. 

„Yeah,“ James answers, looking at Lance, „we can—“

„No, I‘ll treat you!“ Lance is already up and halfway towards the counter, letting Ryan and James sit there completely stunned. They are getting treated. By Lance. „I made you wait after all,“ Lance winks. 

„You really didn‘t,“ Ryan huffs. It‘s ten minutes to three after all, their date shouldn‘t even have started yet.

Well, that‘s ten minutes more that they can spend together.


	8. Ryan/Lance - Sunshine Snuggles

The weather is perfect. 

The sun is out and not a single cloud in the sky. It‘s not too warm, and not too sunny, so Lance doesn‘t feel like dying when you spend more than five minutes on the warm blanket in their garden. 

The soft breeze that picks up every now and then makes it even better. It sends shivers over his skin that get kissed away by the sun again, or, even better, by his fiancé.

Ryan is lying on the blanket with him. It took Lance only a minute of begging for Ryan to join him with a huff and that sinful smile that‘s reserved for Lance and Lance only. The reluctance when Lance pulled him down vanished as soon as he made himself comfortable on Ryan‘s chest, intertwining their legs and nuzzling into his neck to plaster a couple of kisses all over his skin. 

Lance gets that Ryan is reluctant to simply do nothing, especially when they have a thousand things to do. Their guests will arrive in a couple of hours after all, and they have a few meetings with the manager of the hotel they are staying at, and a woman who does the catering for their wedding. 

But right now, they just lay here. Enjoy the view on the castle behind him, a building Ryan‘s company converted into a hotel a few years ago, the same building Lance did the marketing for. 

They met in the ballroom where they will get wed in two days, had their first date on the little lake right in front of them, and their first kiss on the very same grass they are lying on right now. 

Hell, they even got engaged here. 

It‘s the perfect place to get married. Not only because of all the memories, but also because the manager of the hotel is so hardcore into weddings that he planned the whole thing for Lance and Ryan. Also because their caterer offers the best garlic knots Lance has ever eaten outside of his home. And because they have a good relationship with the flower company, and because the DJ seems to like them as well, and because their photographer offered to bring her daughter along to film the whole ceremony, and because the weather is just so damn perfect. 

Lance doesn‘t know what entity blessed him, not only with his wedding, but with the man in his arms as well. He‘s eternally grateful though, sending a regard out to the universe while squeezing the hand that snaked in his own. 

He can‘t wait to get married to Ryan. Can‘t wait to start a new chapter in their lives, can‘t wait for their future together. 

But… lying in the warmth of the sun, snuggling with his one and only… 

Well, he guesses he can wait a bit more. This moment is too perfect after all.


	9. Ryan/Lance - Perfect Combination

He loves cooking. Be it recipes from his abuelita‘s handwritten cookbook, or something he found while browsing the internet. Lance loves cooking. 

That‘s why he cooks almost every meal they eat. Lance makes a deal to turn every Sunday into a meal-prep session for him and his boyfriend. They live together after all, and Ryan does most of the chores Lance dislikes, like laundry, ironing their dress shirts or baking. 

Ugh. Baking. 

As much as Lance loves cooking, he hates baking. It‘s ridiculous, he knows, but he just can‘t feel any pleasure while whipping up some flour and eggs.

If it‘s flour and eggs to fry something though…

So, Lance loves cooking, and Ryan loves baking. 

Perfect combination. 

While Lance cuts some vegetables he wants to roast in the oven, Ryan is beating together the dry ingredients for the brownies he‘s preparing. Double-chocolate brownies with loads and loads of walnuts, just like Lance loves them. 

Yeah, he hates baking, but he loves eating whatever Ryan makes. 

Again, perfect combination. 

While Lance puts the veggies on a baking tray and mixes them with salt, pepper and olive oil, Ryan bumps against his side to demand a few kisses. It‘s always a pleasure to prepare food together, because they can bath in each other‘s presence, can talk about the week they just had or the one that‘s about to come, and they can try to steal as much kisses as possible from each other while getting some nice food afterwards. 

It‘s. Just. Perfect. 

Lance loves spending his Sundays like this.


	10. Ryan/Lance - Wrong Trinket

Of all the things and creatures that have found his shop already, Lance really shouldn‘t be surprised to see a human enter through his doors. 

But he is, since a human shouldn‘t be able to enter his shop.

Lance made sure to put strong spells on his doors and every single window, strong enough that it‘s even a challenge to himself to take them down again. Only things that he wants in his shop can enter his shop—

And humans don‘t really count to those things. 

But… well… since he‘s already here. 

„How can I help you?“ Lance smiles at the customer, a tall man with dark skin and a night sky or two in his eyes. He has a mysterious aura on him, something Lance hasn‘t seen in a long time. 

Especially not on a human! Never on a human even. 

The guy looks at him, his eyes growing wide before he bites his lip and adverts his gaze to one of the trinkets in the shelf. 

Lance takes the one the guy is looking at, a green one that wouldn‘t even work on him. It‘s a healing spell for broken hearts, something strong that will catch the eyes of people who need it immediately… 

_Oh..._

„Do you know what kind of shop this is?“ Lance asks carefully. He gets a short nod from the guy, watches how he chews on his lip and how his hands clench into the hem of his shirt. 

Humans don‘t count to the things that Lance wants in his shop, unless they really need his help. 

And this man, with his night sky eyes and his mysterious aura— this man really needs Lance‘s help. 

Lance places a hand on his arm, happy that he doesn‘t get pushed away immediately. „You won‘t find what you need in these shelves,“ he explains, watching how the guy relaxes in his hold and turns towards him. „How about—“

Lance looks at the door and lets a wave of magic flow through him. The lock on the door closes and the shield he hung there turns around to show other people that he‘s closed for today. 

He pulls the guy towards the counter and waves his hands around, letting his magic prepare two cups of calming tea and a plate with some cookies. The guy watches him with wide eyes, drawing a smile from Lance. 

„How about you tell me what happened,“ Lance encouraged as soon as they are settled, „and we‘ll see how I can help you, huh?“ He smiles encouragingly before adding. „My name is Lance, by the way.“ 

„Ryan,“ the guy answers, taking a deep breath and a sip from his tea before leaning back in his seat. „Okay,“ he sighs, „so…“


	11. Ryan/James/Lance - Jealous

Ryan always wanted to work in an office because it‘s supposed to be a calm job, you know? Not too much stress, not too much contact with people, not too much things than can drag him down while he sits in his seat for eight hours to go home and spend the rest of the evening with his husband on his couch. 

He prefers his days to be calm. 

Not like this. 

Two colleagues called in sick this morning, and a third one from his team went home during the day because she started to have the same symptoms as the other two. With three people out of his four people team missing, Ryan is the only one left to answer people‘s questions while working on two piles of papers that need to get checked and submitted to his boss, and don‘t remind him of the project he‘s supposed to finish today.

Ha. Yeah, today is just shit. 

Up until—

„Hey!“ Lance, a beautiful angel send directly from heaven— or from his HR department— sticks his head into his office door with a smile. „You want to grab lunch?“

Ryan looks at the papers spread on his desk before giving Lance an apologizing smile. „Sorry, but I can‘t leave the office today.“

Lance shakes his head as well. „Don‘t worry.“ He leans against the frame of the door, giving Ryan a lovely view of the outfit he‘s wearing today. Lance is one of the only people who doesn‘t wear a boring suit all the time, opting for more comfortable and colorful things like cute pullovers, pretty dress shirts and even a smoking hot vest when he feels a bit fancy. 

„Did you bring some food?“ he asks, forcing Ryan‘s attention back on the topic. Lance is also one of the only people who can read Ryan without a problem, so he answers his question himself. „Alright then, you want a sandwich from the bakery at the corner?“

Ryan did in fact not bring any food, but he can‘t just let Lance run errands for him. They are not a couple after all, even if Ryan and his husband at home would love to ask Lance on a date anytime soon. „You don‘t ha—“

„I‘m going anyway,“ Lance interrupts him quickly, „so I might as well bring you something.“ He smiles encouragingly at Ryan, raising an eyebrow until Ryan finally accepts the offer. 

If you didn‘t notice by now, Ryan is so gone for him already. „Thank you.“ 

The next half an hour feels more like five minutes. A sandwich lands on the paper Ryan is reading and before he can look up a big cup of coffee gets set down right next to it.

„Here you go,“ Lance grins at him.

Ryan sighs in relief. His stomach actually started to hurt a bit from not eating for so long, since he only had an apple for breakfast. „Thank you, that‘s exactly what I need right now.“ He takes his wallet from the cupboard of his desk and looks up at Lance. „How much was it?“

Lance just shakes his head. „Don‘t worry about it.“ He‘s already halfway through the door, waving at him while drinking from his own coffee. 

„Bu—“

„Enjoy your food,“ Lance interrupts him before he‘s gone. 

Oh, Ryan will sure as hell enjoy this food.

He unwraps the sandwich from the packaging and takes a bite, humming in delight as he realizes that Lance got him his favorite. A light bulb goes on in his hand and he gets his phone from his drawer to make a selfie, the best way of teasing his husband about the free food he got from his crush. 

He takes a photo but shakes a bit while taking it, so he tries again for something that‘s not so blurry when—

„Oh, Ry—“ Lance pops his head through the door, stopping when he sees Ryan with the sandwich in his mouth and the phone in his hand. „What are you doing?“

„Uhm…“ Ryan tries to answer, but his mouth is full. He almost chokes on the bite, drowning it with some coffee before he can speak up. „Sending a selfie to James,“ he explains, gaining another questioning look. 

„With the food I got you?“ Lance asks, confusion clear in his voice. „You trying to make him jealous?“

„Yeah.“ Ryan shrugs. Lance knows that his and James‘ relationship is perfectly fine, and that they like to tease each other with stuff like this every now and then. What he doesn‘t know yet is that Ryan isn‘t referring to the fact that he got food, but that he got food from  _ Lance _ . 

Which is probably the reason why Lance breaks out in a grin again and offers, „I‘ll bring you some cookies from home next time so you can brag even more.“ 

Ryan chuckles and accepts, already imagining how amazing Lance‘s homemade food will taste. Lance is a pretty great cook after all, and even though he doesn‘t like baking as much as cooking, he‘s still a master in both. 

A little later, when Lance‘s original question about Ryan‘s next holidays is answered and Ryan has some time to breathe, he sends the picture he took earlier with the caption ‚guess who bought me food?‘ to his husband, getting a prompt response. Or rather, several responses. 

**Jay <3**

**[12:57]** _I literally hate you so much right now_

**[12:58]** _Why do you get food and I don‘t?_

**[12:59]** _I‘ll apply to your stupid company as well_

**[13:00]** _Seriously, you get to see him every day and now he bring you food?_

**[13:02]** _I‘ll spoil him so hard when I see him the next time_

**[13:03]** _Just you wait!_

**[13:05]** _Love you_

**You**

**[13:06]** _He said he‘ll bring me some cookies next time_

**Jay <3**

**[13:07]** _asjfhkdj THAT‘S IT I QUIT_

**[13:08]** _I‘M COMING OVER RIGHT NOW!!!_

**[13:09]** _What kind of cake does he prefer?_

Ryan huffs, writes a quick answer and gets back to work. He should try to get as much stuff done as possible before his boyfriend interrupts him, and Lance as well. 

A visit from James will be so worth it though. Maybe they finally get around to ask Lance out?

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Comments mean the world to me, so please tell me what you think about this fic.
> 
> Follow my [ Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/wertdifferenz.art/) for the latest stories and prompts!


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